Automatic oil and temperature control system for motor vehicles



Aug. 7, 1934.

C. J. HARDISON AUTOMATIC OIL AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed March 23. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l .MHP W" lnven'tdr a. J jyara'zlsow.

dttomegs Aug. 7, 1934.

c. J. HARDISON AUTOMATIC OIL AND TEMPERATURE'CONTRbL SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES I 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed March 23. 1933 Zhweutor 6'. elffaudisozv.

Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE:

AUTOMATIC OIL AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VE- HICLES ceased Application March 23, 1933, Serial No. 662,401

6 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic oil and temperature control systems for the power units of automobiles and other motor driven conveyances.

The object of the invention is'to provide novel means for automatically stopping the engine of a motor vehicle should for any reason the pressure or level of the oil in the lubricating system become so low or the temperature of the fluid in the cooling system so high as to endanger the bearings, cylinder walls and other parts of said engine. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic system including coacting thermal switches connected in series with the primary motor circuit, one of said switches being responsive to the current strength to successively il1uminate a warning light on the dash board of a motor vehicle and stop the engine thereof when the flow of oil is interrupted or diminished and the other being successively responsive to illuminate of this specification:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of an automatic oil and temperature control system embodying the invention and showing it applied to the engine oi. a motor vehicle of conventional construction.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of one of the thermal switches. T

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

Figine i is a vertical sectional view of the automatic switch or out out for the cooling system.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the fluid pressure switch for the lubricating system.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The improved automatic control system forming the subject matter of the present invention and 11 portions of the lubricating and cooling systems respectively.

The system comprises a primary circuit 12, one terminal of which is connected with a battery 13 leading to an ammeter 14 on the dash board, and thence extends to the primary side of the ignition coil 6 and through thermal switches 15 and 16 to the distributor, and thence to the ground, indicated at 17. Connected in shunt with the primary circuit are auxiliary circuits 18 and 19, the circuit 18 extending to a control switch 20 connected with the lubricating system 10 and the auxiliary circuit 19 being connected with a control switch 21 connected with the cooling system 11. Interposed in the auxiliary circuit 18 is a. warning light 22 arranged at the rear of a colored lens 23, preferably red, mounted on the dash of the automobile, there being a similar warning light 24 arranged adjacent the dash and at the rear of a colored lens or disc 25, preferably green, the purpose of said lights being to indicate when the oil in the lubricating system falls below a predetermined pressure or the fluid in the cooling system rises above a predetermined temperature.

The thermal switches 15 and 16 are illustrated in detail in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings and.

as said switches are identical in construction a detailed description of one will suflice for both. Each thermal switch comprises a base 26 of bakelite, or other insulating material'having a metal plate 27 mounted thereon and provided with an upstanding lug 28 on which is mounted for turning movement a metallic stud 29 preferably of angular formation and to which is secured one end of a switch arm 30- having a terminal contact member 31 thereon which coacts with a similar contact member 32 mounted on an upstanding bracket 33 secured to the base, as shown. The

contacts 31 and 32 are normally closed and in order to hold them in closed position a leaf spring 34 is provided, one end of which is secured to the stud 29 and the other end of the spring being fastened in a slotted bracket or anchoring member 35. At one end of the base 26 are spaced binding posts 36 and 3'? to one of which is secured a conductor 38 leading to the stud 29, the other binding post 3'? having a conductor 33' connected therewith and leading to the base 39 of the bracket 33. Disposed at the end of the base opposite the binding posts 36 and 37 is a single binding post 40 to which is secured a relatively fine resistance wire 41, the intermediate portion of which is coiled or wrapped around the switch arm 30 and is connected with the adjacent end of the conductor its Ill

es as indicated at 42. The purpose oi the wire ii is to heat the switch erm 3b and expend the some and thus breels the contact between. the members 3i and 32 so es to interrupt the primary circuit and automatically stop the engine under certain conditions, as will. be more fully explained hereinafter. The primary circuit 12 is connected to the binding posts 36 and 31 of the respective thermal switches so that said switches are connected in series in said primary circuit while the heating coil ll of one of the thermal switches is connected in the shuntcircuit 18 and the coil cl of the other thermal switch is connected in the uurdlisry or shunt circuit The control. switch for the lubricating system is shown in deteil in Figure 5 of the drawings end comprises it relatively short pipe section so, one end or? which is comected with the oil line id of the lubricating system and the other end thereoi connected with on oil gouge i -l. Threaded in the pipe section s3 is the reduced nipple of e. fluid pressure cylimder so having a piston 4;? operating therein. and provided with e stem so, the free or outer end of which engages a switch crm cc cor= ried by on, overhanging brechet so projecting leterully from the cylinder as shown. Secured to the cylinder 46 is c couctirig switch arm 51, the arms ill end 51 being provided with terminal contacts 52 which are normally held in opeupositime by the pressure of the oil in the lubricating system acting on the piston. so. interposed between the piston c7 and a, closure plug 53 at the end of the cylinder is o coil spring so, the purpose of which is to retract the piston l? and permit the members 52 to contact and thus close the our;- illery circuit 18 should the flow of oil in the lubriouting" system for any reason be interrupted or should the oil in the lubricating system fell below the predetermined pressure.

The auxiliary or shunt circuit 18 is connected et- 55 with a binding screw 56 on the overhanging term so end secured to the lower face oi sold arm is it stop member 56, the purpose of which is to limit the outer or opening movement oi the switch am so. Insulating washers 57 are interposed between the stop member 56 end overhanging arm to as well as between the urn). so and the nut oi the binding screw 56, there being s, spring 58 electrically connected with the stop member 56 and switch orm d9 for imparting the desired resiliency to said switch arm.

As the auxiliary circuit it is electrically con-= nected with the control switch so and as the contact members oi the control switch are normally open and held in open position by the pressure of the oil in the lubricating system, it follows that upon o diminution of the flow of oil in the lubriceting system the spring 5% will retract the piston, thereby causing the contact members of the switch to engage and close the auxiliary circuit through the oil wag light 22.

The control switch 21 tor the cooling system is illustrated in detail in Figure d of the drawings and. comprises a, cylindrical body 59, the upper end of which is threaded at so within the pipe or conduit 11 of the cooling system while the other end thereof is closed and extends within the path of the fluid flowing through the circuit. The cylinder 59 is normally closed by a. plate or disc 61 threaded in the upper end of said cylinder and carrying coacting switch arms 62 and 63 having terminal contact members 64 normally held out of contact with each other, the switch arm 63 being-constructed of metal sensitive to the influence of heat so as to expend the some and success close the switch when the fluid in the cooling sys tem rises above at predetermined temperature.

The switch arms 62 end 63 are secured to the head or disc 61 by c binding'screw 65 to whicl'l one terminal or the owrilisry circuit l9 is connected, there being suitable insulating materiel d6 fitted about the binding screw 65 in order to will flow through. the warning light 22 and illurui note the some so as to indicate to the driver that the lubricating system is out of order. When the auxiliary or shunt circuit 18 is closed, por tion of the current will flow through the wire 12 to the binding post so of the thermal switch 15 and thence through the coil ll to heat the switch arm 30. As the switch orm becomes heated it will expand and open the primary cir cult, thereby automatically stopping the engine. It will thus be seen that the thermal switch 15 acts to first illuminate the warning light and then automatically stop the engine.

Should the fluid in the cooling system become overlies-ted from any cause or rise beyond e, predetermintd temperature, the members 6% will contact and close the auxiliary circuit 19 end actuate the thermsl switch 16 to first flluminote the warning signal 2 and subsequently break the primary circuit and automatically stop the engine. It will, of course, be understood that the control switches 20 and 21 may be set to act upon any desired diminution in the oil pressure or increase in the temperature of the fluid respectively and that the thermal switches 15 end 16 may be so timed as to open at any predetermined interval. From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

It will, of course, be understood that my ismproved control system may be used in connection with magneto systems of motor ignition as well as distributor and coil systems without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will also be understood that the control system may be used with good results on other equipment such as stationary engines, tractors, druglines and the like.

Tim

Nil

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination with the ignition devices of an internal combustion engine and the cooling and lubricating system thereof, of a. normally closed primary circuit, shunt circuits connected with the primary circuit and said cooling and lubricating system and including normally open control switches movable to closed position upon at predetermined drop in the oil pressure of the lubricating system or a predetermined rise in the temperature of the cooling system, warning signals in the shunt circuits, and thermal switches in the primary circuit responsive to illuminate the warning signals and automatically stop the engine when the closed.

2. The combination with the ignition devices of an internal combustion engine and the cooling and lubricating system thereof, of a primary circuit, normally open auxiliary circuits connected in shunt with the primary circuit and with the lubricating and cooling system respectively, warning signals in the shunt circuits, and thermal switches connected in series with the primary circuit, one of said thermal switches being actuated to illuminate one of the warning signals and stop the engine when one of the aux= iliary circuits is closed by a drop in pressure of the oil in the lubricating system and the other thermal switch being actuated to light the other warning signal and stop the engine when the other auxiliary circuit is'closed upon a predetermined rise in the temperature of the cooling system.

3. The combination with the ignition devices of an internal combustion engine and the cooling and lubricating system thereof, of a normally closed primary circuit, shunt circuits connected with the primary circuit and said cooling and lubricating system and including normally open control switches movable to closed position upon a predetermined drop in the oil pressure in the lubricating system or a predetermined rise in the temperature of the cooling system, visual warning signals in the shunt circuits, and normally closed thermal switches connected in series with the primary circuit, one of said thermal switches being actuated to first illuminate one of the warning signals and subsequently break the primary circuit and automatically stop the engine when one of the shunt circuits is closed, and the other thermal switch being actuated to first illuminate the other warning signal and then break the primary circuit and automatically stop the engine when the other shunt circuit is closed.

4. The combination with the ignition devices of an internal combustion engine and the cooling and lubricating system thereof, of a normally closed primary circuit, shunt circuits connected with the primary circuit and said cooling and control switches are lubricating systems and including normally open control switches movable to closed position upon a predetermined drop in the oil pressure in the lubricating system or a predetermined rise in the temperature of the cooling system, warning signals in the shunt circuits, thermal switches connected in the primary circuit and each including normally separated contacts, means for heating one of the contacts, and means whereby when either control switch is closed a warning signal will be actuated and a contact of one of the thermal switches heated to expand the same and break the primary circuit thereby to automatically stop the engine.

5. The combination with the ignition devices of an internal combustion engine and the cooling and lubricating systems thereof, of a normally closed primary circuit connected with the ignition devices and said engine, shunt circuits connected with the primary circuit and said cooling and lubricating systems and including normally open control switches movable to closedpositionupon a predetermined drop in the oil pressure of the lubricating system or a predetermined rise in the temperature of the cooling system, warning signals in the shunt circuits, and means in the primary circuit adapted to successively actuate the warning signals and open the primary circuit to automatically. stop the engine upon a drop in the oil pressure of the lubricating system or a rise in the temperature of the cooling system.

6. The combination with the ignition devices or aninternal combustion engine and the cooling and lubricating systems thereof, of a primary circuit, shunt circuits connected with the primary circuit and said cooling and lubricating systems and including control switches movable to operative position upon a predetermined drop in the oil pressure of the lubricating system or a predetermined rise in the temperature of the cooling system, warning signals in the shunt circuits, and thermal switches in the primary cir- CHARLES J. HARDISON. [L.S.] 

